Bright outlook for Britain
THE desire to travel within the UK has not been dampened as a result of last year’s Brexit vote. If anything, the resulting depreciation of the pound has been an added impetus for overseas travellers to spend up bigger in the UK, according to British tourism officials. Visitbritain declared at the start of the year that it was expecting 2017 to be another record year for inbound tourism to the UK. This year’s overseas visitor spend is expected to increase 8% on 2016 to £24.1 billion, thanks to the 38.1 million international arrivals forecast by the end of this year. In the words of Trafalgar’s managing director Matt Cameron-smith “Britain is hot right now”. A popular Trafalgar offering this year is the eight-day Britain and Ireland Highlights which takes in Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-avon, Edinburgh Castle, York Minster, the Irish National Stud Farm, the Roman landmarks of Bath and the ancient stone circle at Stonehenge. Meanwhile, national marketing manager for Globus Chris Fundell confirmed England, Ireland and Scotland were always front runners that he could rely on to do well for the company. Globus’ 14-day Scottish Highlands and Islands tour had been a massive hit for the company this year, he said, having already exceeded total 2016 sales by the end of January 2017. The Glasgow to Glasgow roundtrip takes in Edinburgh, Inverness, Thurso, the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Mull. The tour offers visits to famous castles and historical sights with breathtaking scenery from Scotland’s northern coast to the waterfalls and jagged peaks on the Isle of Skye.